So why would you want to carry a seemingly limited personal locator beacon (PLB) on your hikes?

Great question!

Personal locator beacons (PBLs): let's begin with a caveat

A PLB is designed for one thing: to send an emergency message.

If you're a solo hiker and you suffer an injury or are lost, one push of a button will summon help.

Or you and a trail buddy get turned around, night falls, and you're unprepared for it.

If self rescue is impossible, don't hesitate to use this electronic device!

But here's the kicker: you should be in a dire emergency situation to consider activating your emergency beacon.

A broken trekking pole doesn't count.

Spotting a bear two ridges over doesn't count.

Medical emergency such as broken bones, bleeding or loss of consciousness, now you're talking about when to send an SOS message.

Careful use is really important

It's important to understand the
distinction between a non-emergency and a "quick, hit the button" situation, because once you hit the "HELP" button, your message goes
via satellites to some pretty high powered folks:

Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking, an international cooperation of military satellites: COSPAS-SARSAT

They won't be pleased to rescue someone with a broken trekking pole, if you take my meaning.

And the cost of your rescue gets billed to YOU.

So
if you plan on carrying a personal locator beacon, be very sure you
need to deploy it before sending that emergency message.

Because these
babies work, and work very well, to send an SOS message that will get you
rescued ASAP (having fun with the acronyms yet?).

Personal locator beacons: a few more caveats

To make your learning curve short and simple for how to use a PLB properly for an emergency rescue:

You must register your PLB device with NOAA, using a unique identifying number which will be used when locating you. Registration is free, but if you forget to do it, your device is useless in an emergency situation.

These devices use satellites, so you must be in a position where the device and the satellites "see" each other. Deep canyons, thick forests, sometimes even dense clouds (or blocking the signal with your pack or clothing) will obscure the signalling.

If your signal is transmitted at night, you will have to wait for daylight for a helicopter or land based rescue team to arrive.

The accuracy of your locator signal depends on which type of PBL you buy. If your device uses GPS, you'll be assured of rescuers pinpointing you to within 100 meters in 5 minutes or less.

Without a GPS interface, accuracy drops to 2 miles before switching to a different frequency to pinpoint you more exactly. Why does this matter? Time. If you're bleeding or losing consciousness, time is of the essence.

This is a battery-dependent device, so it's only as reliable as your commitment to doing regular battery checks/replacement. Also, cold temperatures will eat into the battery life.

You must flip the "on" switch to activate the signal transmission. Be conscious of the battery life and guard against it getting flipped accidentally.

Some of these devices are pre-programmed; be sure it's going to work if you're headed outside of the country in which you purchased the device.

Do you need a personal locator beacon?

ANWR solitude in Alaska, USA

Only you can answer this question, by calculating your personal risk/benefit ratio.

There are types of hiking which skew this ratio toward probably wanting to carry the best personal locator beacon available.

Let's take a look so you can identify your needs.

Solo hikers

This is one of the very best reasons for carrying a PLB: solo hiking.

When you hike alone frequently (your canine companion doesn't count in this discussion due to lack of opposable thumbs), or
venture off established trails into the backcountry, consider
the
merits of these lightweight portable personal locator beacons.

While you are probably very committed to safety and advance planning of routes, you can't control sudden weather events or trail closures.

You can't predict wildlife encounters.

And you have no control over accidents or injuries that can happen to any of us on a trail, especially when you're way off the beaten path.

For these reasons, I'd recommend a PLB in your backpack.

And don't forget, you have to activate the device when you need it.

Don't bury it in your backpack where it may be inaccessible if you're injured or your pack is swept away in a water crossing accident.

Be extra diligent about battery life, if this is your only way to summon help.

Backcountry hikers

If you risk going into the backcountry on a regular basis, perhaps it's time to take a look at purchasing one of these devices.

Even in a group hiking situation, things can go south on you and you'll need to be rescued.

Let's define backcountry first:

isolated, rarely traveled regions

rugged terrain with dicey footing, water crossings, high probability of predator encounters

extreme and/or unpredictable weather conditions

Personal example

I've been on multiple backcountry Alaska and Canada trips where I had great peace of mind, knowing we had a PLB with us.

It's just an extra little edge for making risk-taking more comfortable.

Some folks I've hiked with grouse about paying for something you never use.

But that's exactly the point: buy it, activate it, carry it, maintain it, and be very thankful you never use it!

It's a personal calculus

Calculate for yourself the worth of what you are purchasing:

Lightweight peace of mind

Free registration

Assurance of rescue wherever you wander (although there are constraints such as daylight, weather conditions, and mileage - those darn laws of physics)

But keep in mind:

You bear the full cost of the rescue (helicopters aren't cheap!).

A PLB is not a trivial piece of hiking gear to purchase; average cost hovers around $300.

Battery maintenance is your responsibility.

Emergencies only: you must define EMERGENCY as life threatening issues only.

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